The Israel-Hamas war and the accompanying rise in global anti-Semitism will not be high on the list of priorities for American voters this November. New poll from Harvard CAPS/Harris shows that issues like inflation, immigration and the economy remain front and center.

But the rise in hatred targeting Jewish communities across the country isn’t a peripheral issue—it’s a wake-up call for all Americans.

The past year has shaken the foundation of our collective security. Shockingly barbaric Hamas the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 was not just an attack on Israelis; revealed the terrifying depth of anti-Semitism metastasizing in American society. The ADL pursued more than 10,000 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in the past year, the highest ever recorded.

The truth is undeniable: Jew-hatred is a growing industry in America.

Police cars now line the streets outside the synagogues. Jewish-owned businesses are prone to vandalism and are targeted by protesters. On university campuses, Jewish students are singled out and accused of complicity in genocide and apartheid. The word “Zionist” has become a thinly veiled substitute for “Jew,” providing cover for anti-Semitism to masquerade as political criticism.

What was once confined to fringe discourse has entered the mainstream, fueled by radical groups whose ideologies now find platforms on social media, in academia and even in classrooms Congress.

History offers no shortage of examples of the dire results when societies fail to confront hatred. When anti-Semitism flourished in Europe in the 1930s, not only were Jewish lives shattered, it led to the collapse of democratic institutions, the erosion of truth, and the rise of totalitarianism. The lesson is clear: tolerating anti-Semitism invites the broader decay of a society’s moral and political fabric.

Hate, once unleashed and legitimized, will spread and move, targeting other minorities and vulnerable groups, and ultimately anyone who dares to question the mob mentality. Anti-Semitism in America is not just a Jewish struggle; it’s a fight for America’s future.

But it is a struggle we fail to recognize, address and win.

How do we change course? The encouraging news is that Americans are actually paying attention to the Middle East. Recent polls shows that 62% follow the Israel-Hamas war closely, and 81% express more sympathy for Israel than Hamas.

The reason is clear: Most Americans understand that Israel is fighting for its survival against terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, whose explicit mission is to annihilate Israel. But what many do not fully understand is that the ideologies of these groups are not limited to the Middle East. Their virulent strain of hatred, deeply rooted in anti-Semitism, spread beyond the region and found fertile ground in Western democracies, including the United States.

So even as Americans recognize the high stakes in Israel, there remains a troubling disconnect from what they recognize at home. Only six percent of voters consider the Israel-Hamas war a top priority for the country, and only two percent list anti-Semitism as a pressing issue. These figures highlight a dangerous gap between perception and reality.

For Americans, supporting Jewish communities should be reason enough to confront anti-Semitism. But if more is needed, we must also recognize that the fundamental principles that underpin American democracy cannot survive in a society where hatred and intolerance have room to flourish. When bigotry takes root, what follows is a rupture of the social contract that binds us as a nation.

American Jews are under attack. If anti-Semitism continues to deteriorate unchecked, it won’t be long before other groups face the same threats.

How we respond today will define the nation we are tomorrow.

Aviva Klompas is the former director of speechwriting at the Israeli Mission to the United Nations and co-founder of Israel without bordersa nonprofit that partners with community leaders across the US to support Israel education and fight hate of the Jews.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer.